There are things we could still do like get a side hustle, get a higher paying job, and sell our house. Problem is I haven’t found a good side hustle I would excel at and be able to fit in during my little free time. (I want to make sure I give my wife and kids the attention they deserve.)

I’m happy with my job right now. The seas are cloudy ahead (new project and management keep changing) but for right now I am optimistic. I also want to have my 401k vested before doing anything drastic. No point leaving money on the table.

Which leaves me with the last point, should we sell our home?

We have joked about the idea for over a year but I’m starting to wonder if maybe we are a small percent serious. It occasionally comes up in conversation and both Ms. Blue Ribbon and I like to go online and see what the housing market looks like not only in our neighborhood but also close to downtown.

Here is the pros and cons list that I came up with of selling our house.

Pros to stay

We love our neighbors

We have put in a lot of work in this house to make it a home

Have a park less than a block away (with two kids that is invaluable)

Decent school district

Awesome-tastic commute for Ms. Blue Ribbon (about 5 minutes)

Right next to an ice cream shop (perhaps this should be a con to stay?)

If I use the example house that recently went on the market we would be able to save over $100k in a brokerage account by the time we would pay off our current house. We would also have saved around $30k in interest. In the grand scheme of things that would shave off 1.5 working years. An enticing incentive. Leaving open opportunities we had not thought of before as well.

Is that enough? I don’t know. There is no shortage of known and unknown variables in this problem. One thing is for sure, this is an emotional decision (perhaps that’s why there are so many in the rent for life crowd).

What will we do? Nothing for now. (That house was sold before I finished writing this!) (Seller’s market)

Maybe if the right house comes along or something changes in our world we may have different feelings. Who knows, my editor (Ms. Blue Ribbon) could read this and call our realtor (doubtful).

Have you thought about changing homes to get out of debt or speed up retirement? Do you have a side hustle you want to share?

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16 thoughts on “Should We Sell Our Home?”

That is quite a question! I think we would not consider moving from our current home unless there was a serious reason or a very compelling argument, but our house/property are a bit of a different scenario 🙂 Its tough, I see the benefits of moving, but I’m someone who likes to settle in and stay, so I’d have a hard time moving. Good luck!

Since we’re building our home I can’t imagine selling it down the line. But I won’t say ‘never’ – who knows how I’ll feel in ten years? Who knows what opportunities come up that may require relocation?

I think at the end of the day it’s about doing what’s right for you and your future. Best of luck however you decide!

Even in the outer metro it’s not cheap. Buddy of mine wanted to build a ~900 sq ft home out near Waconia, and the cheapest he could get the home itself quoted for was over $300k! That isn’t even counting the land.

We did a similar approach a few years ago, but with renting. We realized all our money was tied up in our $1,300 rent payment. We moved across town to a less-nice apartment for a $900 rent payment, saving an extra $400 a month. That was huge for us because it helped us pay off debt much more quickly.

We downsized in 2014. Sold a big expensive waterfront place (with a jumbo mortgage) and used the equity to pay cash for a townhouse about 1/2 the size (and 1/3 the cost). Now we’re 100% debt-free, mortgage and all. Not a single regret after this change!

Are you commuting more than 10 miles? Would moving help your commute? Would your wife look for a new job close to the new home? Oh, so many questions!

My two cents is to figure out the job thing first, then consider moving based on your commute as well as the other things you mentioned. With 2 small children, anything more than a 20-30 minute commute gets to be a nightmare. And it usually just gets worse instead of better.

I have a spreadsheet to calculate whether it’s better for us to move or stay put. There’s a lot of assumptions but currently its a wash. Which is a good thing because my wife really does not want to move!
Good luck with all your decision points!